Comments on: Interesting Facts about Hinduism, by Soumya Murag

By: vagina lubrication

vagina lubrication — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 16:53:09 +0000

loose vaginas…

[...]Interesting Facts about Hinduism, by Soumya Murag | Tattva[...]…

By: The Best Price on the Nikon D3100 Digital SLR

The Best Price on the Nikon D3100 Digital SLR — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:34:25 +0000

It?s actually a cool and helpful piece of information. I am happy that you shared this helpful information with us. Please keep us informed like this. Thank you for sharing.

By: Eleanore Rodriques

Eleanore Rodriques — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 06:40:25 +0000

Your article is fantastic, its probably something to do with my computer but for some reason i can’t open your article on google chrome, thats why i had to use a different browser.

By: singapore company formation

singapore company formation — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 03:33:54 +0000

Hi there, just became aware of your blog through Google, and found that it is really informative. I am gonna watch out for brussels. I’ll be grateful if you continue this in future. A lot of people will be benefited from your writing. Cheers!

By: Daniela Scholz

Daniela Scholz — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 09:17:32 +0000

Thank you for this enlightening and interesting information.

By: abhijeet

abhijeet — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:10:56 +0000

Spiritually, the temples are like launching pads where one performs those activities that assist in reaching higher dimensions. They are the doorways to more advanced realms and where pilgrims and devotees go to make an outward display of their devotion to their Deities. Though God is within us all, and religion or yoga is very often an inward process, God can manifest externally as the Deity, the arca-vigraha incarnation, through which He accepts the devotee’s service while he or she is in the material realm. These devotional activities, such as simple darshan (seeing the Deity and being seen by the Deity), are considered purifying for one’s life and consciousness. The goal is to continue on this path until one’s thoughts are purified to the point where one sheds his or her materialistic consciousness and can enter the spiritual realm, at least by the time of death if not before. Thus, everyone tries to visit the nearest temple a few times a day, or tries to make pilgrimages to the famous holy places. The temples usually have a main shrine with smaller temples or shrines surrounding it. These shrines may have murtis or carved images of important spiritual masters, or deities of various demigods, such as Parvati (Lord Shiva’s wife), Durga (the warrior aspect of Parvati, sometimes called Kali, Tara, etc.), Sarasvati (goddess of knowledge and intelligence), Lakshmi (goddess of fortune, Lord Vishnu’s wife), Ganesh (a son of Shiva, said to destroy obstacles and offer good luck), Murugan (meaning divine child, the Tamil name for Subramaniya, another son of Shiva, especially worshiped in the South), Brahma (born from Lord Vishnu and who engineered the creation of the living beings within the universe), and Shiva (the benevolent one, part of the triad of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva who continually create, maintain, and destroy the universe), and Deities of the Supreme, such as Vishnu (incarnation of the Supreme appearing as the All-pervading One, the preserver or maintainer of the universe), or Krishna (the Supreme Being, source of all other incarnations, such as Rama, Vishnu, Narasimha, etc.). The temple is usually dedicated to a particular form of God or demigod which you will find on the main altar. It is explained that the Deity is not a product of someone’s imagination, but is made in accordance with the ancient Vedic texts, called the Shilpasutras, which deal with the science of iconography. Everything about the Deity, such as its proportions, the postures, hand gestures, weapons (if any), the emblems, etc., all mean something. Therefore, it is very important that every part of the Deity is formed properly. The Deity may also have different features which represent different aspects, abilities, powers, or pastimes. After the Deity is formed, there is the elaborate installation ceremony during which the Deity is installed in the temple. At this time the devotees and priests petition the personality of the demigod or Supreme Being to take up residence in the form of the Deity. Only then does the Deity become the arca-vigraha, or worshipable incarnation of the Supreme Being or particular demigod. It is considered that since God is the controller of both material and spiritual energies, He can turn something material into spiritual energy or vice versa. Thus, the Deity, which may appear to be made of common material elements, becomes spiritual and allows us to see spiritual form with our material senses. Out of the causeless mercy of the Supreme, He agrees to reside within the form of the Deity to accept the worship of His devotees. Of course, we should not think He is forced to remain there. If He is neglected or if harm is allowed to come to the Deity, He may leave the form of the Deity at any time. There are many stories in both traditional Vedic writings and local legends that relate how various Deities have reciprocated with devotees. Such relations have taken place in dreams as well as in the awakened state in which the Deity has come to life to show Himself as He is or partake in pastimes with His devotees. There are also some instances when Krishna or Shiva spontaneously manifested themselves as stone Deities. Such Deities are called self-manifested because they were not formed by any artist or priest. Lord Venkateshvara at Tirupati, Vishvanatha Shiva at Varanasi, and several Krishna Deities at Vrindavan are a few examples of this. Of course, most Westerners of little faith cannot explain such occurrences, and can hardly accept that the Supreme would exhibit Himself in this way. They would rather look for some “logical” or non-mystical explanation for such things. But for the devoted and the sages who have glimpsed and understand the spiritual dimensions of existence, the Deities are a reality. Even if one cannot accept the concept of Deities, then even in the most abstract sense the images, such as in Buddhism, represent cosmic principles which affect us all. Therefore, they remain a part of the reality we experience at every moment. In this way, the temples are the places where one can see and even experience the Divine. Furthermore, many of the temples are built at locations where ancient historical or holy events involving the incarnations of God or the demigods have occurred. Such temples give evidence for the legends that are described in the Puranas which explain how the Supreme Being appeared there. Therefore, these sites become very sacred, even spiritualized for having been the site of the pastimes of the Supreme. It is for this reason that people can acquire great spiritual merit by visiting these places. Thus, these sites become important centers on the pilgrimage routes for many of the devout. In this way, the temples are the most significant of the surviving monuments where religious, social, cultural, and, in many cases, political aspects of history have been preserved. Historically, the temples were also major centers for education. The larger ones would maintain priests and students for the recitation of the Puranic texts to the people at large. Thus, both literate or illiterate people could be provided with a cultural education. The villages, however, had schools for basic study and learning, but beyond that the temples often had libraries full of books from all branches of learning and teachers who taught all these subjects. The temples also served as centers for the arts since they would employ many artists to paint scenes from the Puranic legends or carve beautiful sculptures. There were also jewelers and goldsmiths who would make articles for the Deities. Musicians and singers were also employed, and dancing girls would perform exotic dances in times of worship, especially during festivals. The larger temples had hospitals and doctors and areas for feeding and caring for the poor and destitute. In order to do all this, the temples consumed large amounts of fruits and grains. Thus, the temples were given plots of land that were used mostly by the farmers for growing food for the offerings in the temples. These offerings, however, would then be redistributed amongst the temple employees and the poor. The temples also had systems of banking. Thus, with such a variety of activity centered around them, the temples played a very important part in Indian culture. After we have traveled through India, and if we have been able to connect with the spiritual side of it, the experience will certainly influence us in a special way. In fact, on some level we will never be the same. If we have traveled with a seeker’s humility and a quest for higher experiences, then some of us who have gone on this journey will have attained glimpses into the visions of the sages and viewed similar levels of higher reality. The effects and memories of such encounters will stay with us forever and, thus, change our lives. This is priceless experience.[Stephen Knapp]

By: abhijeet

abhijeet — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:10:00 +0000

Algebra, Trigonometry and Calculus are studies, which originated in India.* Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to mankind. The Father of Medicine, Charaka, consolidated Ayurveda 2500 years ago.* India was one of the richest countries till the time of British rule in the early 17th Century. Christopher Columbus, attracted by India’s wealth, had come looking for a sea route to India when he discovered America by mistake.The Art of Navigation & Navigating was born in the river Sindh over 6000 years ago. The very word Navigation is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘NAVGATIH’. The word navy is also derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Nou’.Bhaskaracharya rightly calculated the time taken by the earth to orbit the Sun hundreds of years before the astronomer Smart. According to his calculation, the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun was 365.258756484 days.The value of “pi” was first calculated by the Indian Mathematician Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is known as the Pythagorean Theorem. He discovered this in the 6th century, long before the European mathematicians.Quadratic Equations were used by Sridharacharya in the 11th century. The largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Hindus used numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e. 10 to the power of 53) with specific names as early as 5000 B.C.during the Vedic period.Even today, the largest used number is Terra: 10*12(10 to the power of 12).Until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds in the world (Source: Gemological Institute of America). Sushruta is regarded as the Father of Surgery. Over2600 years ago Sushrata & his team conducted complicated surgeries like cataract, artificial limbs, cesareans, fractures, urinary stones, plastic surgery and brain surgeries.Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient Indian medicine. Detailed knowledge of anatomy, embryology, digestion, metabolism,physiology, etiology, genetics and immunity is also found in many ancient Indian texts.Varanasi, also known as Benaras, was called “the Ancient City” when Lord Buddha visited it in 500 B.C., and is the oldest, continuously inhabited city in the world today. Martial Arts were first created in India, and later spread to Asia by Buddhist missionaries.Yoga has its origins in India and has existed for over 5,000 years.

By: abhijeet

abhijeet — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:09:18 +0000

“To other countries I may go as a tourist, but to India I come as a pilgrim.” ~ Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr “When I read the Upanishads, I found a profundity of world view that made my Christianity seem like third grade.” ~ Huston Smith “India was the Motherland of our race and Sanskrit the Mother of Europe’s languages.India was the Mother of our Philosophy, of much of our Mathematic’s, of the ideals emboded in Christianity …of Self-Government and Democracy, In many ways Mother India is the Mother of us all..” ~ Will Durant “India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border” ~ Hu Shih “You’d have to be brain dead to live in India and not be affected by Hinduism. It’s not like Christianity in America, where you feel it only on Sunday mornings … if you go to church at all. Hinduism is an on-going daily procedure. You live it, you breathe it.” ~ Marcus Leatherdale “Land of religions, cradle of human race, birthplace of human speech, grandmother of legend, great grandmother of tradition. The land that all men desire to see and having seen once even by a glimpse, would not give that glimpse for the shows of the rest of the globe combined. India had the start of the whole world in the beginning of things. She had the first civilization; she had the first accumulation of material wealth; she was populous with deep thinkers and subtle intellect; she had mines, and woods, and a fruitful soul.” ~ Mark Twain “The Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long. Longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang. And there are much longer time scales still. A millennium before Europeans were wiling to divest themselves of the Biblical idea that the world was a few thousand years old, the Mayans were thinking of millions and the Hindus billions” ” ~ Carl Sagan “In India, our religions will never at any time take root; the ancient wisdom of the human race will not be supplanted by the events in Galilee. On the contrary, Indian wisdom flows back to Europe, and will produce a fundamental change in our knowledge and thought.” ~ Arthur Schopenhauer

By: abhijeet

abhijeet — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:08:38 +0000

American University Makes Study of Gita Compulsory An American university has made study of Gita compulsory for all its students by including it in its “core course.” The Seton Hall University (http://www.shu.edu/) has taken this decision observing the importance of Gita in life. University administration says that through the wisdom of Gita, students can better understand and cope with the complexities of life and be better prepared to face all the life’s challenges. The autonomous Catholic Seton Hall University was established in New Jersey in 1856. Professor A.D. Amar working with the University’s Stillman Business School said the decision to make Gita compulsory for all students is an unprecedented one. Out of the University’s total strength of 10,800 students, about one-third are non-Christians. There are a huge number of Indian students studying at the University. Professor Amar who played a key role in this development said that the core course is compulsory for all students of the University. It has to be studied by everyone regardless of the subject they have chosen for study. He added that the University understood the importance of the philosophy of Gita and decided to make its study compulsory for all students. It is actually “Bhagwad Geet” (The Divine Song). Gita is like an ocean of wisdom The wisdom in the slokas of Gita is full of eternal truths that were revealed to the ancient Hindu sages when in deep meditation. Nothing can match the spiritual wisdom that arises when the mind has been trained enough to concentrate and contemplate on the ultimate reality.

By: abhijeet

abhijeet — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 16:07:52 +0000

US-based spiritual leader Rajan Zed has asked the European Parliament to give recognition to Hinduism as a religion in the whole of Europe. While meeting the President of the European parliament Hans Gert Pottering, Zed explained the essence of Gita and Gayatri Mantra to him. Zed asked Pottering to declare Diwali as a major festival in Europe. The European Parliament had invited Zed for a spiritual discourse on Hinduism. The Hindu spiritual leader introduced the Members of Parliament to the fundamental tenets of Hinduism. Zed also raised the issue of religious discrimination being suffered by Hindus in Europe. He said that Hindus living in Europe have to face many problems and difficulties. To solve these, Zed presented a 15 point programme to the Parliament. The programme includes points such as quick approval to proposals related to opening of Hindu temples, appropriate representation and promotion of vegetarianism. Zed informed Pottering that Hindus are not allowed to construct temples anywhere in Europe. The applications to open new temples are kept under processing for a long time and then almost always rejected. Not many Hindus know it, but Hinduism — the oldest living spiritual tradition in the world going back about 8,000 years — is still listed as a “cult” in all European countries. Their governments refuse to accept it as a legitimate religion. They actively prevent establishment of any Hindu temple in their territories. But that does not prevent European leaders — especially from Italy and France — from preaching “respect for all religions” to Indian government and recommending to Hindus that they should allow more churches to be opened in India to prove to the world how tolerant they are. What a farce! Why don’t the Indians take the Europeans to task for this kind of behaviour and ask for an explanation about why Hinduism has been listed as a cult while Judaism, Buddhism and Islam are listed as legitimate religions. What a shame that Gita is compulsory study for all students in an American university regardless of their religion, but banned from schools and colleges in India due to “secularism.” This Congress-style ‘secularism’ is the biggest wound Hindus have willingly inflicted on their own cheeks. Worse, the more this wound festers and poisons the rest of their body, the more the Hindus showcase it to others to prove their intellectual sophistication. Little do they realise that the kind of secularism being practised in India is nothing but an elaborate scheme to strangle them slowly, and that they are being quietly brainwashed by India’s English media (with questionable funding) to ensure that the Hindus go to the gallows singing all the way. Is it because the church fears the ancient and formidable Hindu spiritual literature (especially the Upanishads, Rigveda and Gita) and thinks that it may trigger another “Hare Rama, Hare Krishna” movement in Europe, shaking its very foundations? But there is no reason why European governments should continue to list Hinduism as a primitive cult and be allowed to get away with this insult to all Indians.

By: vsr

vsr — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 10:10:06 +0000

Namaste.
Respects ,young lady.Absolute respects.Thank you so much for writing this excellent summary on Hinduism.I think you covered just about all of hinduism without appearing pedantic or lenghty.May you be blessed with the wisdom of the infinite universe and the courage to lead a generation in search of spiritual direction.Let the hindu women reclaim their status as the keepers of knowledge.
Ayushmati Bhava.

By: sushma bharadwaj

sushma bharadwaj — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 20:16:50 +0000

great article written by young lady

By: Ankith S Kumar

Ankith S Kumar — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:35:36 +0000

Good job.. we need such information to know about the rich traditions of India.

By: pramod.g.kamath

pramod.g.kamath — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 17:01:16 +0000

nice to know some important details regarding hinduism…..well done

By: zach smith

zach smith — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:23:19 +0000

Im going to use this on my report bravo

By: zach smith

zach smith — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:21:47 +0000

Very,very nice work thats the best

By: Clinton McCarty

Clinton McCarty — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 21:14:49 +0000

hey nice work it was very good

By: Abhish Byreshapa

Abhish Byreshapa — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 14:57:28 +0000

Jai hind!
Sister Sowmya im spellbound, excellent and thats all i can say…
Hinduism = A way of life!
Take pride hindus!

By: P.N. Reddy

P.N. Reddy — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 21:29:55 +0000

Excellent work. One item, from your writing, I am going to share with my friends in India during my next visit is your statement ” For such steady progress, it asks to start with physical aids such as temples and idols, and through practice and devotion, ultimately succeed in visualizing God without the aid of temples and idols.” Some religious people in India still are so attached to these idols/temples/prayer gathering places and are reluctant to relocate them in convenient places from congested areas.
P.N. Reddy

By: BHEEM SUTHAR

BHEEM SUTHAR — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 06:17:38 +0000

Great work….!!! brilliant information, I had no idea there is so much excellent material here. God will surely multiply all your time and efforts and return them in kind. What goes around comes around.

_BHEEM P.A PANCHANI

By: rebecca

rebecca — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:32:06 +0000

this artical is great. I am definitely going to use this artical in my report. Thanks for the great artical!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

By: Meghana

Meghana — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 14:30:49 +0000

very very happy to find this great article. I am definitely going to read this out to my kids. I want them to feel proud to be a part a this great culture.

To see these words are coming from a 15 year old, I am thrilled.
Wish you the very best in your life.

-Meghana

By: Praveen

Praveen — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 06:10:00 +0000

hey..great job done by u……………keep it up.

By: Anil

Anil — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 22:54:57 +0000

Hi Sowmya,

Very good work!!!

“Tamasoma Jyotirgamaya” means “lets move from Darkness to Greater light of knowledge”.Your work is symbolic of this great statement.

By: VG

VG — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:06:29 +0000

Hey good job! im glad u rote abt it. it teaches me a lot. abt hinduis. im hindui 2 my self. n it awsome learning more

By: VG

VG — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:05:18 +0000

Good job. I am HIndui my self. An di was intrested in learning a little bit more. Beacuse it soo coool. The most i lov is the Durga PUjia! I love our dances. the most. BUt one thing i want to now is tht is god alwasy there for you? Beacuse 2 me i dont noe. My life is horriable. There are racsit out thtere. But i only have one q. did god leave me? or is god still there?

By: Anil KumaR

Anil KumaR — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 05:38:43 +0000

Great work..thanks for the awareness.

By: Arin Wyborn

Arin Wyborn — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 17:36:00 +0000

It is wonderful to see such openess about this ancient and mysterious way of life.

Given the number of simultaneous conflicts in the world, these ‘Eternal laws’ contained in the Vedas, Gita are sound solutions to help unite the human family…

“The vast literature, the magnificent, opulence, the majestic sciences, the great realized should, the soul touching music, the awe inspiring gods. It is already becoming clearer that a chapter which has a western beginning will have to have an Indian ending if it is not to end in the self destruction of the human race. At this supremely dangerous moment in history the only way of salvation for mankind is the Indian way.”

Arnold J. Toynbee

By: Nanak Kanti Sen

Nanak Kanti Sen — Thu, 13 May 2010 02:19:12 +0000

This is a very very imprtant feature which should be studied by all Hindus especially. In most cases, an old fellow does not know about Sanatan Dharma which a 15 yrs. old girl describes it. The so-called literates should follow this feature attentively.

By: Nanak Kanti Sen

Nanak Kanti Sen — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 03:10:39 +0000

An excellent contribution. Everyone should read it & realise what Sanatan Dharma is & What Hinduism is. Sanatan Dharma is the religion of the gentleman.

By: as

as — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 20:20:43 +0000

I am simply surprised that this is written by a 15 year old girl!
Excellent understanding and cannot be summarized in a better way!

By: Vimal vijayan

Vimal vijayan — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:19:24 +0000

Nice work.It’s necessary for all hindus to know about themself.

By: Vedant Sharma

Vedant Sharma — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 07:10:26 +0000

There’s no doubt out there that HINDUISM is one of the very Uniquely chosen Religion throughout the WORLD……..The people do not follow blindly,.,.,.Try it and feel the difference,……………

By: Nanak Kanti Sen

Nanak Kanti Sen — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 11:50:29 +0000

Soumya Murag, You have done a great job undoubtedly. I appreciate your effort with my heart & soul. Please keep it in continuation.So many various attacks upon Sanatan Dharma has taken place from ousted but it is still living with its own glorification.
Some dirty matters such as cast discrimination, priesthood have done a severe disaster in this dharma which should be uprooted immediately.
Any way, than you again & again.

By: anonymous person

anonymous person — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:27:50 +0000

wow, this is amazing! it has anything i would need to know for my project, and extremely well writtten. thank you, and excellent job.

By: Miss Nisha Halai, London UK

Miss Nisha Halai, London UK — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 06:28:14 +0000

Hi Soumya,

Great article.
Surprisingly reassuring for me as a Kutchi-Gujarati Hindu-born woman.
I’ve studied most religions, out of personal interest and am rediscovering and appreciating Hinduism now.

Just wondering what your sources are. You mention various discussions and lectures, but where did the teacher draw the information about Hinduism.
Knowing my youth group, they’ll ask me for the evidence (from scriptures).
If you get a chance, please can you email me or post the sources within your article thoughts/facts. Thanks.

nisha.nisha.halai@gmail.com

By: Bikramjit

Bikramjit — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 12:12:23 +0000

Good work.I think all Hindus should first understand their religion and then try to clear the misconceptions people of other religion have about hinduism.Hindus especially in India hardly try to discover the greatness of this religion.The fact that it has survived for thousands of years uninterrupted shows its greatness.

By: johny

johny — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 20:20:10 +0000

THIS GREAT KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK

By: Aditya

Aditya — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:19:56 +0000

Great work…. I would like clarify on thing about caste system. In Hinduism the four castes are - the Brahmins(Intelletuals,Teachers), the Kshatriyas(Warrriors of religion,people,land,property), the Vaishyas(Businessmen,Brokers), and the Shudras(Workers,working staff). This means each society should have all these classes to live peace fully. Actually is not decided by birth in any particular caste but the path you chose yourself. Suppose a son born to a shudra parents joins the army then he will belong kshatriya section because of his karma(deeds). I am born to brahmin parents and i work as a software guy for an MNC…then i belong to shudra section.

By: Mansi

Mansi — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 10:26:35 +0000

As I was going through the article, I was picturing a well versed senior in Hinduism having written this article. But after I read about your age and nationality , I am spellbound ! What more can I say!!

Mansi

By: franck

franck — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 13:42:15 +0000

Isn’t it convenient that those lower castes “deserve” their poverty and will get repaid for being slaves to the high caste in the afterlife? Hinduism was great for justifying the enslaved masses.

By: Bipin Kumar

Bipin Kumar — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 11:08:27 +0000

Really very good, short and sweet, having full extract of hinduism , very convincing ang logical. Very Good work soumya.

By: rameshwar rai

rameshwar rai — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 11:55:29 +0000

i am really impressed by this article.soumya has done really a great work at this age.it our duty as a savour of great hindu religion to come up with real meaning of hinduism and its essence,and put forward before the world.
Great job soumya please continue it.

By: Vikramank Singh

Vikramank Singh — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:51:23 +0000

really like this article, keep up the good work. i am a hindu myself but i learnt few more things from this article. your work is highly appreciated

By: Aaron

Aaron — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:37:55 +0000

I found this article helpful and informative. I have recently taken an interest in Hinduism (after about a few years of religious exploration). I have gone from what I thought was Christianity, to agnosticism, to atheism. Reading about Hindu philosophy has greatly increased my interest in learning more.

My biggest difficulty has been finding the core tenets and ideals of a Hindu lifestyle so that I can construct what I believe to be the path to enlightenment. Your article helped to guide me in the right direction. Great piece!

StumbleUpon took me here!

By: shea

shea — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:45:30 +0000

thank you! knowing the terminology will make finding more information easier. thanks again for taking the time to comment.
shea

By: ketan

ketan — Sun, 17 May 2009 19:10:33 +0000

shea,

The practice of putting dot on forehead is called “bindi” in hinduism. It has cosmetic importance. However, it also signifies in some cultures as the women is not a widow. But unmarried women also put this dot. Men also decorate their foreheads with large dots or “bars” called “tilak”. As far as I know it has ritualistic importance. But some people say that it is a tribute to the wisdom/mind that has a seat in the forehead.

Hope that helps!
K

By: shea

shea — Sun, 17 May 2009 18:30:26 +0000

Without sounding rude, I would like to know more about the practice Hindu women have of painting a dot on or around their third eye area. I’d like to know what the practice is called, and also the meaning behind it.
Thanks.

By: Aceo Art

Aceo Art — Sun, 17 May 2009 10:08:58 +0000

Hmmmm, nice info there.

By: Breanna L.

Breanna L. — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:52:24 +0000

thanks for writing this! it has helped me study for part of my CRCT tomorrow!

By: student

student — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:29:19 +0000

very enriching, makes me want to convert to Hinduism

By: student

student — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 16:28:29 +0000

Very enriching, makes me want to convert

By: girly1

girly1 — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 23:48:12 +0000

i love this website it really helps me understand about hinduism.

By: student

student — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 21:56:15 +0000

I am doing a project for school and found your information extremely helpful! Thanx!

By: Rebecca C.

Rebecca C. — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 02:01:12 +0000

Article is well written. The content is relevant and accurate. I found the article very useful and easy to read. Great job and thanks for clearing everything up!! Great job!! :D

By: alex

alex — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 23:05:35 +0000

hey wats up, my name is alex. you have avery interestiong article, but what i would like to know who, if there is any record, of the found of this great religion. Email me at LAchicka@ymail.com THNX!!! :D

By: cici

cici — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:19:59 +0000

hi my name is cici. and i’m doing my senior project on hinduism and i would like to know how to spread awareness on hinduism. you can email me at cici_hall@yahoo.com or cici.hall@gmail.com
thanks!

By: Ramesh

Ramesh — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 05:40:53 +0000

Good article. May I suggest following clarification on basic tenent of Hinduism. The basic tenent is Purushartha i.e Dharma,Artha,Kama and Moksha. It accepts man as it is with all his material/survival(Artha) and mental/emotional(Kama) needs. At the same time it exhorts him to control these needs on the basis of Dharma that the principle which helps everbody to live together in happiness. Next is Moksha that is out growing of this Samsara i.e birth death cycle through a full and fruitful life. Trust this adds more clarity.

By: TheMan370

TheMan370 — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 07:00:49 +0000

That seems too good to be true, don’t you think?

By: Ed Viswanathan

Ed Viswanathan — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 02:03:47 +0000

Namasthe Soumya: As the author of the book AM I A HINDU? [www.amiahindu.com] I salute you. At a very tender age you have indeed grasped the essence of Hindu Culture.

As far as I am concerned the very best aspect of Hindu Culture is ABSOLUTE FREEDOM OF THOUGHTS AND ACTIONS.

Mahathma Gandhi wrote, even atheists can call themselves as Hindus. That is very true. In fact the CHARVAKA philosophy or NASTIKA philosophy, [existed during the Vedic period] founded by CHARVAKA rejected the existence of God and considered religion as an aberration.

Voltaire in Essay on Tolerance wrote: “I may disagree with what you say, but I will defend to the death, your right to say it.”

Hinduism is the symbolic representation of what Voltaire wrote.

By: bhagchand oad

bhagchand oad — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 20:09:36 +0000

great effort u have done and keep on doing

By: Ketan

Ketan — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 12:22:37 +0000

You are just 15 and such a maturity!! Amazing!!!
Nice work, keep it up!!

By: Moss Bliss

Moss Bliss — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 10:29:45 +0000

This is an excellent article. I have been finding a LOT of articles on Hinduism, most of which are filled with inaccuracies — in this article, the only errors I found were punctuation. (Sorry, I’m a professional editor, can’t help myself.)

I also have written an article on Hinduism. While yours speaks more to what Hinduism IS, mine speaks more to what it WAS and how it is DIVIDED. If you’re interested, my article can be found on at least one website — http://www.occult-underground.com/hinduism.html .

Many blessings,
Moss Bliss

By: Rameshwar Rai

Rameshwar Rai — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 12:40:05 +0000

You are a real Indian, good work keep it up

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 11:18:45 +0000

excellent work — the content is calm and well-presented, the organization logical, the coverage thorough. thank you for the time and effort that went into it.

By: prathiba

prathiba — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 07:12:14 +0000

great article…specially abt the caste systems….congrats…:) very useful

By: Sameer

Sameer — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:25:09 +0000

Soumya,

Great job. Being a 15 year old, you have great wisdom and am happy that you have such sound knowledge of Religion.
Hope you have a great future. All the best.

-Sameer

By: Srini & Kalyani

Srini & Kalyani — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:38:17 +0000

Great job Soumya! Very well written! Very proud to read that this article is written by a 15 year old, living in US. We plan to talk about this in our Gurukulam classes.

By: Ramakrishna

Ramakrishna — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 17:55:04 +0000

Very useful article. In fact, the University of Guyana students were amazed at the contents and thought it was a good piece since it served to educate those not having an indept knowledge of Sanatan Dharma and further educate the students who knew but learnt more now. Good job Soumyaji.

By: shiva

shiva — Sun, 06 Apr 2008 15:01:29 +0000

nice article soumya, happy to learn that you have understood many things about hinduism etc

By: rajesh

rajesh — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:32:52 +0000

Due to richness of Hindu philosophy there are many paths.This also makes it necessary to have a coordination in all Hindu paths and evolve a global coordination strategy. Various Hindu Missions, Organisations, Ashrams are equired to be coordinated. a clear strategy for protection of Hindu Human rights has to be planned and implemented. hinducoordinationcenter.blogspot.com is one such attempt. I invite you to visit Indonesia in May 2008 if possible and explore the rich Hindu heritage and communicate with Hindu community there .

By: Ramesh Chandra Anand

Ramesh Chandra Anand — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:09:45 +0000

Soumaya,
Wonderful effort.We are grateful.Please keep doing it.

By: greesh sharma

greesh sharma — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 14:26:33 +0000

Article is well written. The content is relevant and accurate.Found the article very useful and easy to read.
Greesh Sharma

By: Gaurav Verma

Gaurav Verma — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 12:49:53 +0000

Soumya, I am very proud that you have taken the onus of defining Hinduism to the rest of the world at this age. It speaks volumes about your mental maturity and the positive effect of attending Boudhiks. One suggestion which I have is that instead of saying mythology, you should say scriptures. A lot of things are possible with yogic powers and mental energies. Also, I say this to every Hindu: Please do not say that Hinduism is not a religion, its a way of life. This statement sounds so lame and can be easily mis-interpreted for suiting a maligning purpose. One should say: Hinduism is not JUST a religion, it is a complete/comprehensive way of life, which touches not just beliefs, but also the way one behaves in society and prepares oneself for the spiritual journey.

By: Rashmi

Rashmi — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 10:28:07 +0000

Good work by this little child…very mature and sensible write-up.